Rotary engine.



No. 793,207. PATENTED JUNE 27. 1905.

L. A. MILEY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOVv 12,1903. RENEWED JAN. 30.1905.

3 SHEETEP-SHIIET j.

W/TNE55E5. INVENTOR. /fiL 6W BY No, 793,207. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. L. A. MILEY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1903. RENEWED JAN. 30.1905.

3BHEETSSHEET 24 /N VEN TOR.

No. 793,207. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. L. A. MILEY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 12, 1903. RENEWED JAN. 30.1905.

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WI TNESSES. Z 4: V a e 65 M74 @M UNTTED STATES PATENT LUKE A. MILEY, OF SEATTLE, \VASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FFICE.

ETHAV A. E. MORRISON, OF SEATTLE, \VASHINGTON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,207, dated June 2'7, 1905.

Application filed November 12, 1903. Renewed January 30, 1905. Serial No. 243,348.

Be it known that I, LUKE A. Miter, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of \Vashington, have invented certain new and useful improvements in lxotary Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to rotary engines; and the object of the invention is to produce an etlicient reversible engine of inexpensive construction wherein the consumption of steam is reduced to a minimum and the admission of steam may be regulated according to the duty required. I attain this and other objects by the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts, as will hereinafter be fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and linally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of an engine constructed according to my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse vertical sections taken on lines a: w and 1 y, respectively, of Fig. i; and Fig. 4 is a substantially horizontal section taken on planes 1 w of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the drum, and Figs. 6 and T are similar views of the valve-plugs shown in the sectional views.

Like figures denote corresponding parts in all of the views.

In the drawings, 2 represents the shell or casing of the engine having a removable head L belt-passages 3 and 3 for the intake and exhaust, respectively, of the steam, and an outside bearing5 for the main shaft 6, to which is fastened a rotary or driving drum 7. The drum is provided at each of its ends with an annular collar 8 and arranged longitudinally therebetween: but at opposite sides of the drum are radial pistons 9, having their outer edges Hush or even with the peripheries of the collars and the circular wall of the d rum-cylinder 1. Cyliudricz l abutments l0 arelixedly mounted upon shafts l1 and rotated from and at twice the speed of the main shaft by the gear-wheels l2 and 13 upon the said shafts. The abutments are positioned in the casing so as to contact with the drum the entire distance between the said collars and upon diametrically opposite sides thereof, and to allow the said pistons as they revolve to pass the abutments the latter are each provided with a registering longitudinal incision 1%. Located diametrically opposite in each of the said drum-collars and in proximity of the pistons are recesses or pockets l5 and 15, the recesses in one collar being disposed upon opposite sides of the pistons to those in the other collar-that is to say, if the recesses 15 are to the rear circumferentially of the pistons as the drum rotates in a given direction then the other recesses 15 will be in advance of the pistons. Communication is made between the steam- 'iassages 3 and the cylinder through these recesses, passage ways 16, valve-chambers 17, and ports 18 and 18' and between the exhaust-passage 3 and the cylinder through passage-ways l9, chambers 20, and ports 21, which latter are positioned in the cylinder-wall intermediate the drum-collars. Cylindrical plugs 22 and 23 project longitudinally into the case and through the chambers 17 and 20 and interiorly of the said chambers are cut away and arranged to permit the (low of steam thereby and yet leave segments, such as 21 and 25, to form valves, whereby either or both admission-ports of either pair of chambers may be opened with the closing of the ports in the other pair of chambers and simultaneously close and open the ports of the exhaust-chambers of the respective plugs.

It is obvious from the construction that steam is admitted into the cylinder only while the recesses under the open ports are traveling thereby and that the amount of cut-elf and consequent expansion of steam may be regulated by manipulating the valves thereof so as to permit the steam to enter by both ports of each chamber or by one.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the reversal of the engine or drum rotation is accomplished by turning the said plugs sulliciently to change the course of the steam so that it will be admitted through the drum-re cesscs leading into the annular space between the drum-collars upon the opposite side of the pistons. The several plugs are connected exteriorly of the case by crank-arms 26 and rods 27, whereby the valves may be operated in unison, as by a lever 28. Provision .is made for taking up the wear of the drum to fit steamtight within the cylinder by boring the latter somewhat conical or diminishing in diameter toward the rear end of the case and turning the drum-surfaces, including the pistons which contact with the cylinder-bore of corresponding taper, and providing a screw 29 to project through a screw-threaded aperture of the head 2, whereby the drum may be moved longitudinally and retained at an adjusted position. The wear of the abutments is compensated by the provision of eccentric bushings 30 and 31 upon the shafts thereof and which upon being turned move the abutments, with their shafts, in the required direction. Stuffingboxes are included in the invention when necessary to make steam-tight joints where the various parts project through the casing. In order to facilitate the manufacture of the engine and assembling of its parts, the abutment-chambers may advantageously be bored of uniform diameter their entire lengths, and after the drum and abutments are inserted a packing-ring 32 is placed within a registering groove turned in the end of the casing immediately beneath the removable head and contiguous of the cylinder-bore. Spaces 33 are provided at the back of each abutment for the reception of steam to counteract the steampressure within the cylinder and acting against the abutments, and by balancing or distributing the steam-pressures acting against the drum the friction of the rotary parts is reduced to a minimum and increased considerably to the efficiency of the engine.

The operation and control of the engine will be apparent from the foregoing and need no further description here. It may be said, however, that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing its advantages-as, for example, two cylinders may be included in one casing when instead of two abutments for each an intermediate one will serve both cylinders, thus requiring but three abutments. Again, if it is desired to operate the rotary in but one direction then the valve-plugs may be omitted, except when deemed desirable to use them for varying the point of cut-off.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rotary engine, the combination with the casing provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, and an abutment, of a drum having end collars provided with a recess or pocket positioned so as to revolve across the respective ports of said steam-inlet passages, and a piston between said collars, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with the casing provided with steam-passages, a drum provided with end collars and two pistons extending between said collars and positioned upon diametrically opposite sides of the drum, the said collars being provided with pockets those of one collar being disposed upon the opposite side of the pistons to those of the other collar, and valves positioned in the said passages to regulate the admission of steam through the said pockets into the cylinder upon a predetermined side of each piston.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with the casing having inlet and outlet steam-passages, a drum having end collars provided with pockets and pistons intermediate said collars, and rotatable abutments, of means to adjust the distances between the axes of the drum and the axes of the said abutments such means comprising eccentric bushings rotatably mounted upon the abutment-shafts.

4c. In a rotary engine, the combination with the casing having a steam-inlet passage communicating with the steam-cylinder through two ports at some distance circumferentially apart and in proximity of its ends, and steamoutlet passage communicating with the cylinder intermediate the steam-inlets, a drum rotatably mounted within said casing and provided with a piston and collars having pockets therein positioned so as to revolve across the ports of the steam-inlet passages and regulate the flow of steam therefrom, and a valve located in said steam-passage, and means for actuating the valve for opening and closing said ports either independently or together whereby the point of steam admission into the said pockets may be controlled.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LUKE A. MILEY.

Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES, Soor'r CALHOUN. 

